The Captains Story
by tishtosh
Summary: Frederic Wentworths side of Persuasion. What did he really think about Anne?
1. Chapter 1

Authors note: Hello. This is my first story so if anyone wants to review please do so I can get some feedback. This is already try two so thanks to sleepinghyunny and Lucy65 who reviewed my first atrtempt. This one I hope is a lot better.

Disclaimer: I am not Jane Austen and I am not getting any money from this.

The Captains Story

By Tish tosh.

Chapter 1

Captain Frederick Wentworth had been at sea for seven years fighting in the Napoleonic wars, but the war had ended and he was free to go back to England, bringing back with him a large fortune of twenty thousand pounds.

With no home to go to Wentworth was to stay with his sister and her husband, Admiral and Mrs Croft. They had just acquired a rented house in the south of England and had invited him to stay with them for a while until he found himself a home.

Through correspondence with his sister, Frederick learnt that the property that was being let to the Crofts was Kellynch Hall in the county of Somerset, who's owner was a Sir Walter Elliot the father of Anne Elliot who, just over seven years ago, broke Frederick's heart.

Frederick was on leave and visiting his brother who was the curate of Monkford, the parish near Kellynch Hall. Anne Elliot was the shy middle daughter of Sir Elliot and the two had fallen in love at first sight. Being that she was a daughter of a titled gentleman and he a mere Captain with no money or connections, kept their love hidden from public knowledge and scandal, but the love the two young people shared was very strong and Frederick proposed to Anne who accepted straight away.

When asking for Anne's hand, Sir Walter gave Frederick a look of disgust and never gave an actual answer, hoping that after speaking to his daughter she would change her mind. Sadly for Frederick the next day Anne had been persuaded by her father and her godmother, Lady Russell, to not accept him.

Hurt, betrayed and angry Frederick returned to the Navy asking for the first ship he could get. Trying, but failing to forget about the beautiful Anne Elliot.

Once arriving on land, Frederick, after saying goodbye to his crew, set off for Somerset and the memories that he tried to forget.

Kellynch Hall was a grand old building with high windows, a large entrance hall and a grand staircase leading up to the family rooms. Many mirrors were placed around the house and the furniture in all the rooms were of the latest London fashion. Frederick, knowing the family better then his sister explained to her the mystery of so many mirrors by observing that Sir Walter was a vain man and insisted on being able to see what he looked like. Though on remembrance he observed that the younger Miss Elliot's were not as vain as the elder sister who, on reflection, was, on occasions, worse then the father.

The grounds of Kellynch Hall were a delight and Frederick Wentworth was ready to finally settle down away from the sea and peaceful life on land.

A week had passed by for the new occupants of Kellynch Hall when one afternoon, as Frederick and Mrs Croft was catching up on family and mutual acquaintances, the Admiral came in and, while looking at a letter in his hand, said,

"My dear, I have just received an invitation from a man called Musgrove inviting us, and you too Frederick, to a dinner at his home at Uppercross next Thursday. Uppercross is the next village about five miles from here. They live in the great house.

It also says in the letter that his son, Charles, is married to a once, Mary Elliot who is the youngest daughter to Sir Walter, and they will both be there with his two grown up daughters who have finished their education and who will also be dinning with us. Their names are Henrietta and Louisa.

Will that be pleasing to you my dear, and you too Frederick if we all attend?"

Mrs Croft had no objections and as Frederick had never met Mary as she had been in school when he was last in this part of the country, he had no objection either.

As Admiral Croft went to reply to Mr Musgrove with his acceptance Frederick started to wonder, if Mary looked or acted any way like her elder sister, how would he react to her if she did. Frederick had never really forgiven Anne for what she had done to him, but as he still wanted to make a good impression on his sisters neighbours he prayed to God that Mrs Charles Musgrove would be anything like Anne.

End of Chapter 1.

Author note: This is a revised chapter and I hope that whoever read the original thinks that this one is better. Anyway I've added a few things so it should be all good now. Anyway thanks for reading and chapter 2 should be up this weekend.


	2. Chapter 2

Author Note: Thank you to the people who reviewed the first chapter, sleepinghyunny, Iago96 and Lucy65. It meant a lot to me and proves that people are reading this story.

To those who have read but not reviewed thanks for doing that too.

I have done some changes with punctuation on this chapter so should flow better.

Disclaimer: I am not Jane Austin as she died about 200 years ago. I am also not getting any money from this story so lawyers back down.

Ok now that the legal mumbo jumbo is dealt with, on with chapter 2.

The Captains Story

Chapter 2

The sun had set by the time the Kellynch Hall party arrived at Uppercross. The building that loomed over them was a great house indeed with at least 30 windows facing them.

Once all were in the large parlour introductions were made and, to Frederick's astonishment, a polite regret was made that Miss Anne Elliot sadly couldn't join them as she was looking after the younger Musgrove's eldest boy, who, only an hour ago, had fallen from a tree and broken his collar bone. This announcement brought to Frederick so many feelings that is mind was jumbled. Being so close to her but being grateful that she wasn't there to torture him further with her presence.

The dinner was a long affair and once they had all become full and a unplanned dance had been finished the Kellynch family took their leave from the Uppercross party and bid them goodnight.

In the carriage sitting opposite his sister and her husband, who were discussing that nights events with great animation, Frederick was thinking of the women who was not there. That they had been so close and yet he could not see her gave him great pains. His bitterness at her refusal of him was still living in him, but the need to see her again after all these years, just to look upon her face, was great indeed. At that moment he knew that even if Charles Musgrove hadn't asked him to go shooting with him in the morning, that he would still have gone to the cottage just to see if Anne Elliot had changed at all. To see if she still remembered him as he did her.

When morning came, Frederick, at Charles' invitation, rode to Uppercross to have an early start on shooting for that day. Meeting Charles at the gate of the little cottage he was invited in to wait while Charles went to fetch the guns. As Frederick walked in to the little parlour there stood Anne Elliot, her back to the window with the light shinning through. She was as beautiful as the day he left those seven years ago., though thinner in the face as if she hadn't been eating well. Fredericks thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Mary Musgrove introducing Anne to him. Seeing her eyes widen with shock, Frederick turned to Mrs Musgrove to say, "Myself and Miss Elliot have already met."

"Really Anne, you never told me that you knew Captain Wentworth."

Looking embarrassed with rosy cheeks, Anne replied, "You were in school when Captain Wentworth and I last met."

As this conversation between the two sisters was going on Frederick looked around the room. The parlour was tiny but remembering that the house was a cottage the size didn't surprise him. The two sisters from Uppercross was also in the room, and before he could speak a syllable to them their brother walked into the room with the guns. Taking leave of the ladies, the two gentlemen walked out of the house.

Not long after leaving the house, the two gentlemen were joined but the two sisters from Uppercross and Mary Musgrove. After some polite questioning on both sides, Louisa said, "So Captain, we never knew you and Anne were acquainted. How long ago was it?"

"Miss Louisa, if you must know it must have been some seven years ago since I last came to this part of the country."

"And has Anne changed much since then Captain?" enquired Henrietta, who had been listening in to the conversation her sister and the Captain had been having,

"Very much so," he replied., "I would not have recognised her." But that was a lie. Yes he resented her for what she had done in the past, yes he had tried to forget about her, but she was still firmly in his heart and memory as the only one he had ever truly loved.

Once the shooting party had arrived at the field to shoot, Frederick's mind was in so much turmoil that he didn't get one shot. On being asked by Charles what was distracting him so, Frederick replied, "Sorry Charles, I was just thinking on what Louisa was saying to me earlier. It was interesting to say the least." With that sentence Frederick planted thoughts into Charles' head of a romance blooming between his sister and new friend, hoping the distraction and new purpose would erase Anne Elliot from his mind and hopefully his heart.

End of Chapter 2

AN: You know what to do guys. Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Hi guys. Sorry this has been a long time coming but been on holiday. From now on should be more chapters each week. Any way please leave a review as usual and thanks to those who reviewed chapter 2.

Disclaimer: I'm not Jane Austin I just love to play with her characters.

The Captain's Story

Chapter 3

Captain Frederick Wentworth and Miss Anne Elliot found themselves in company very often. One such occasion was when Miss Elliot and the Musgrove's were invited to dine at Kellynch Hall.

After knowing the family now for over a week, Frederick was determined to fall in love with one of the Musgrove girls. If only to get over Anne.

The two Musgrove girls were very lively and had just come home from school so were very much inclined to show off their new accomplishments. They both knew the dances and could play the piano forte and harp, though on the occasion of a dance they entreated Anne to play.

The eldest Miss Musgrove, Henrietta, was the handsomest, but when Frederick enquired after her, he found, from Charles, that she had an understanding with their cousin Charles Hayter. This inclined Frederick to set his caps on the younger Miss Musgrove, Louisa.

The meal was a very lively and happy occasion though sometimes when Frederick looked over at Mrs Musgrove she had a sadness about her that had not been there when he had meet her before.

Once the meal had finished and all had retired to the drawing room the two young ladies desired the Captain to tell them about the ships he had Captained over the years. The Asp, an old ship not fit to sail, in which he was sent to the West Indies. The Laconia, which was in fact the source of Mrs Musgrove's sadness.

The Musgroves once had another son named Richard, or Dick to his family and friends, who was sent to sea and died. Richard was a mid shipman in the Laconia at the time that Frederick was captain of the ship, and as he remembered it Richard was someone whom he was glad to get rid of, but seeing how distressed Mrs Musgrove was he sat down next to her and tried to comfort her by telling her some stories of his adventures with Richard. This arrangement brought Frederick closer to Anne as she was sitting on the other side of Mrs Musgrove. While talking, he discreetly looked at Anne who he was secretly pleased to see happy.

The Admiral who had been walking around the room observed to Frederick about the passaging of women on board ship. This started another argument with the Captain about allowing women on board. Sophia, who often travelled with her husband, observed that, "(she) felt safest on board a ship with the Admiral then on land without him."

Getting bored of listening conversations in which they could not take part, Louisa and Henrietta proposed a dance in which Anne would play in which she agreed. Frederick, when everyone started to stand up, took the opportunity to ask Louisa for the first dance. After going down the first set Frederick asked his partner wither Miss Elliot danced at all, her reply astonished him, "No." she said, "Anne does not desire to dance and prefers to play for us all instead."

This was a change indeed, for Frederick remembered well that Miss Elliot loved to dance and that she danced well. He could remember what she felt touching him going down the dance. For a moment he forgot where he was and who he was with, but once the dance had finished he came back to himself. The evening ended once all the dancing was finished and the Crofts and Frederick left.


End file.
